Welcome to my blog. This blog is all about writing tips for writers and teachers of writing. Twice monthly, I will address one aspect of writing. I will also post tips about no-fee contests and calls for submissions by publishers.
If you would like to know more about me or my books, check out my website at www.nancykellyallen.com

Nancy's Books

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Mark Twain once wrote, The difference between the almost right word & the right word is really a large matter--it's the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.

Imagine a manuscript as a window for readers. The wrong words distort the view, leaving streaks and smears that make the reading difficult. Every writer experiences this in the first draft, but in revision we can create a spotless window by revising with words that make the meaning clearer and add resonance to the piece.

When choosing words consider the following:

Audience. Is the text age appropriate? Can a child understand the story? Could another word better describe the action or situation?

Setting. Do the words vividly describe the character’s world?

Dialog. Do the characters sound realistic? Does each piece of dialog carry the plot forward or help develop the character?

Subtleties. Does each word convey the exact meaning you want? Instead of hot, you might consider fiery, flaming, or feverish? Each word has a slightly different connotation and can give a more vivid detail.

Voice. Do the words form colorful phrases or make an emotional connection with the reader?

Writers have many choices in word selection. The difficult part is choosing the best words for the story.

Next week, I’ll discuss ways to improve word choice in writing.

Call for Submissions for Adult Writers:STRAND MAGAZINE We are interested in mysteries, detective stories, tales of terror and the supernatural as well as short stories. Stories can be set in any time or place, provided they are well written, the plots interesting and well thought.We are interested in stories of almost any length, but preferably the 2,000-6,000 word range. However, we may occasionally publish short shorts of 1000 words, and sometimes we may consider even a short novella. At the moment, our payment rate for stories is $25-150. No submissions accepted by e-mail.Details at http://www.strandmag.com/htm/strandmag_guidelines.htm

Contest for Student Writers:CARPE ARTICULUM YOUNG WRITERS COMPETITION: YOUTH TRUTHFor those under 18, grades 6-12 by US Standards. No reading fee. Poetry or Short Fiction (under 20 pages). Deadline February 1, 2012. First place $500. Second place $300. Third $200. Entrant must be sponsored by a teacher in a traditional high school or middle school classroom.Deadline: February 1, 2012Details at http://www.carpearticulum.com/submissions/

1 comment:

Great Twain quote! Words are magic and I find it as important what you leave out as what you add in. The "lightening" does not always mean more words. So true about the streaks and smears. Well put! Looking for clarity andauthenticity.

Contact Me

Name

Email
*

Message
*

Liebster Award

About Me

My route to writing children’s books has more twists and turns than a winding mountain road. I worked as a social worker and traveled many a winding road, uphill and down, around Hazard, Kentucky. Later, I became an elementary school teacher, and then a school librarian. After spending days introducing books to children, I spent nights writing books for them. At this point I have written over 30 picture books, one chapter book, and one middle grade novel. I have a master’s degree in Education from Morehead State University and a master’s in Library and Information Science from the University of Kentucky. Home is still in Kentucky in the log cabin in which I grew up. My husband, Larry, and I share our cabin with two canine writer assistants, Jazi and Roxi.